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Japan’s Mount Io volcano erupts for the first time in 250 YEARS, spewing smoke and ash 1,300 feet into the air

Friday, April 20, 2018

By Paul Martin

Mount Io blasted smoke and ash blasted hundreds of meters high on Thursday
While explosions subsided, authorities set up a no-go zone in case of debris
The volcano is one of 110 active volcanoes in Japan, and last erupted in 1768

A volcano in southern Japan has erupted for the first time in 250 years, prompting authorities to set up a no-go zone around the mountain as it threatens to send large rocks flying as far as two miles away.

Mount Io blasted smoke and ash hundreds of meters into the sky on Thursday, ending a quiet period that has lasted since 1768.

While the explosions have subsided today, experts warn the volcano could still become more active, and could send dangerous debris falling over nearby towns.

Mount Io is one of Japan’s 110 active volcanoes; the country lies within the notorious Pacific Ring of Fire, where much of the world’s earthquakes and eruptions take place.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency on Friday expanded a no-go zone to the entire mountain from previously just around the volcano’s crater.

The volcano is part of the Kirishima mountain range on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu. The area is about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

Another volcano nearby also erupted violently in March for the first time in seven years.

‘There is a possibility that (Mount Io) will become more active,’ said Makoto Saito, an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), confirming the eruption.

In a televised press conference, he warned residents in the area to stay away from the mountain, part of the Mount Kirishima group of volcanoes, as major ash deposits spread from the crater.